Testimony To Continue Occupy Pittsburgh, BNY Mellon Hearing

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Representatives from the Occupy Pittsburgh movement have been squaring off against The Bank of New York Mellon in court today over the bank’s plan to oust protesters from its privately-owned park.

Occupy Pittsburgh is calling today “a day of international solidarity and action” against BNY Mellon.

Last month, attorneys for BNY Mellon filed an injunction demanding that members of the Occupy movement leave Mellon Green Park where they set up camp on October 15th.

The two sides have been in court today for a hearing over the bank’s lawsuit.

“What’s happening now is simply whether they can get immediate, emergency relief to evict the occupation from the park,” Jules Lobel, Occupy Pittsburgh’s attorney, said. “And in order to get emergency relief, they have to show there’s some real emergency.”

BNY Mellon testified that safety concerns grew about violence, fear of fire and security for its 7,000 employees downtown as the movement wore on.

“They haven’t shown any serious harm that’s going to befall them if the occupation stays and they have to prove that to get a preliminary injunction – an immediate injunction in this case,” Lobel said.

After ignoring the bank’s order to leave the park last month, the group announced that it renamed the site of their encampment, “The People’s Park.”